1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traffic safety equipment and, more specifically, to the traffic channeling devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many different types of traffic channeling devices have been utilized previously. One type that has been widely used comprises a hollow drum made of a relatively lightweight plastic material which will not cause damage to a vehicle if the vehicle should accidentally strike the drum.
Because such hollow plastic drums are relatively light in weight, some type of ballast is needed to prevent the drums from being inadvertently blown over or moved about by the wind and/or air blasts produced by passing vehicles. One common form of ballast consists of sandbags which may be placed against the base of the drums.
An improvement on the sandbag ballast technique has been to use rubber collars to ballast the drum. The rubber collars, which may be recycled truck tires that have been latitudinally split, are inserted over the drum and exteriorly ballast the drum. This arrangement provided the drums with a relatively low center of gravity. The drums also grip the road over a relatively large surface area to resist tipping of the drums and eliminate xe2x80x9cwalkingxe2x80x9d of the drums on the ground which is common to plastic drums.
An example of this type of drum is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,280 to Cowan entitled xe2x80x9cTraffic Channeling Devices,xe2x80x9d (xe2x80x9cCowanxe2x80x9d) which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Cowan discloses that the drum has a stiffened skirt portion adjacent the bottom of the drums to provide enough resistance to the removal of the drum from the rubber collar so that the drums cannot be blown or sucked out from the rubber collar by the wind or passing vehicles while still allowing the drum to distort and break away from the rubber collar upon impact of the drums by a vehicle, leaving the rubber collars in place. Also, the skirt portion of the drums desirably resist rolling of the drums on the ground when dislodged or otherwise removed from the rubber collars.
Cowan also discloses that the rubber collar includes a relatively rigid inner peripheral portion surrounding the drum skirt portion where most of the weight of the rubber collar is concentrated and a relatively flexible outer peripheral portion spaced radially outwardly from the drum in substantial surface contact with the ground for better gripping to resist tipping of the drum and eliminate walking of the drum along the ground. Also, the flexible outer peripheral portions of the rubber collar resists rolling of the drums in the event the drum is completely tipped over while the collar is still in place.
The drum disclosed in Cowan has a loose fit in the rubber collar which allows the drum to flex and vibrate under traffic and wind conditions without tipping over or moving laterally. If the drum should tip over, the loose fit of the collar allows the collar to move up on the drum, making it more difficult for the drum to roll on the ground.
Unfortunately, the loose fit of the Cowan drum also permits it to rotate relative to the collar, which is highly undesirable. The drum rotation occurs from the wind and vacuum created by passing vehicles exerting a rotational or tangential force on the drum. The drum rotation is a distraction to passing motorists, creating a hazard.
It is also highly undesirably to have a drum rotate relative to the collar when a warning light is mounted to the drum. Typically, the warning light is mounted off center on the drum top. When the drum is used as a traffic channeling device, having the warning light maintain a constant position is critical for safety reasons. The traffic drum is typically positioned up with the warning light being proximate to the lane of traffic. As the drum rotates, the warning light rotates as well. If the warning light is rotated 90xc2x0 or 270xc2x0, only the edge of light is visible resulting in reduced safety conditions. If the warning light is spun 180xc2x0, a passing driver might misjudge the location of the drum and strike it, which is understandably undesirable.
The problem of rotating drums and warning lights is recognized in the traffic channeling device industry. One approach to preventing the drum rotation is to staple a chunk of recycled tire to the lower outside wall of the drum. The tire chunk is positioned such that the inner perimeter of the rubber collar is disposed against it when the collar is inserted over the drum. This arrangement inhibits the drum from rotating in the rubber collar, but not without problems.
A problem with the prior art solution of inhibiting drum rotation is that the staple ends that extend through the lower outside wall of drum will scratch a second drum nested inside the first drum.
Another problem with the prior art solution is that the tire chunk is attached without precision. By not being attached with precision, an opportunity is created for the tire chunk to be misplaced. A misplaced tire chunk will need to be detached from the lower outside wall of the drum and reattached, resulting in unsightly and unnecessary punctures in the drum wall.
The tire chunk is of a single thickness, which creates at least two problems. By having a single thickness tire chunk, the insertion of the ballasting, rubber collar over the drum is difficult. The insertion difficulty arises because the tire chunk abruptly juts out from the drum wall. If the rubber collar is not inserted over the drum carefully, the collar will get caught on the top of the tire chunk and not slide down the outer surface of the tire chunk easily. A second problem is that the rubber collars may be of varying inner diameters, as they are often made from recycled tires. A single tire chunk stapled to the outside of the drum wall does not easily accommodate varying inner diameters of the rubber collars.
A further problem with the recycled tire chunk stapled to the drum outside wall is that it is an unsightly black chunk on the exterior surface of an otherwise brightly colored, well-designed traffic channeling drum.
Therefore, a traffic channeling device or traffic drum is needed that has the advantages of the drum models in the prior art, overcomes the problems associated with stapling a tire chunk to the outside surface of the drum, and does not rotate relative to a ballasting collar.
Objectives of the invention are achieved, in one embodiment, by a molded rib for attachment to an exterior surface of a bottom wall of a traffic channeling device for inhibiting the traffic channeling device from rotating relative to a rubber ballasting collar. The rib comprises an exterior surface for contact with the rubber ballasting collar, a back surface for contact with the bottom wall of the traffic channeling device, and a thickness between the exterior and back surfaces.
In a further aspect of the invention, the molded rib is comprised of rubber having a hardness of approximately 35 to 40 durometer. The molded rib may further comprise a top portion terminating in a tip, wherein the rib thickness diminishes toward the tip. The molded rib may comprise a bottom surface that complements a top surface of a base of the traffic channeling device. The back surface of at least one of the molded ribs comprises one or more cavities that complement at least one locator pin on the exterior surface of the traffic channeling device.
In a further aspect of the invention, the traffic channeling device comprises a drum.
Other objectives of the invention are met by a traffic channeling device comprising a wall having an outside surface, an inside surface, and terminating at a lower end in a base having a top surface. One or more molded ribs are attached to the wall outside surface for preventing the traffic channeling device from rotating relative to a rubber collar which may be disposed thereabout. Each rib comprises an exterior surface for contact with a rubber collar, a back surface in contact with the wall outside surface, and a thickness between the exterior and back surfaces. The ribs are preferably disposed about the wall outside surface in a latitudinal arc of less than 180xc2x0.
In a further aspect of the invention, the traffic channeling device comprises at least one locator pin extending from the wall outside surface and into a respective complementing cavity in the back surface of at least one of the ribs. There are also recesses in the wall inside surface that respectively correspond to at least one of the locator pins. Further, there are fasteners for mechanically attaching each rib to the traffic channeling device, each fastener comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion is disposed in a respective recess such that the first portion does not extend beyond the wall inside surface and the second portion extends from the first portion, through the wall, and into a respective rib. In aspects of the invention, the fasteners may comprise a plurality of screws, nails, staples, or a combination thereof.
In a further aspect of the invention, the traffic channeling device has two ribs that are attached to the wall outside surface. Each of the ribs has two vertically aligned recesses that respectively complement two locator pins. Further, the fasteners comprise a plurality of screws.
In a further aspect of the invention, the ribs of the traffic channeling device comprise a top portion terminating in a tip, wherein the rib thickness diminishes toward the tip; a bottom surface that complements a top surface of the base; and rubber having a hardness of approximately 35 to 40 durometer.
In a further aspect of the invention, the base may comprise a radially outwardly and axially downwardly tapering skirt portion adjacent to a bottom edge of the traffic channeling device. In an additional aspect of the invention, the base may also comprise a flange that extends radially outwardly from a bottom edge of the traffic channeling device.
In a further aspect of the invention, a rubber collar is inserted over the traffic channeling device, the rubber collar comprising an inner diameter that is in contact with a portion of the wall outside surface and a portion of each rib exterior surface. Further, the recesses in the wall inside surface respectively correspond to at least one of the locator pins. Additionally, a plurality of screws attach the ribs to the wall, each screw having a head and body, wherein the screw head is disposed in a respective recess and the screw body extends from the screw head, through the wall, and into a respective rib, wherein two ribs are attached to the wall outside surface, and each rib comprises two vertically aligned cavities that respectively complement two locator pins extending from the wall outside surface.
Other objectives of the invention are met by a traffic channeling device comprising a wall having an outside surface and terminating in a base having a top surface. One or more ribs extend from the wall outside surface for preventing the traffic channeling device from rotating inside a rubber collar. Each rib comprises a rib exterior surface for contact with the rubber collar and a thickness between the rib exterior surface and the wall outside surface. The ribs are disposed about the wall outside surface in a latitudinal arc of less than 180xc2x0.
Other objectives of the invention are met by a traffic channeling device comprising a drum, a base, two sets of locator pins extending from the drum, one or more molded ribs, recesses in the wall inside surface of the drum, and screws. The drum has a wall having an outside surface, an inside surface, and terminating at a lower end. The base extends from the drum lower end and having a top surface. The two sets of two locator pins extend radially from the wall outside surface, wherein the locator pins of each set are vertically aligned and the two sets of two locator pins are disposed about the wall outside surface in a latitudinal arc of less than 180xc2x0. The molded ribs are attached to the wall outside surface for preventing the traffic channeling device from rotating relative to a rubber collar which may be disposed thereabout. Each rib comprises an exterior surface for contact with a rubber collar; a back surface in contact with the wall outside surface; a thickness between the exterior and back surfaces; a top portion terminating in a tip, wherein the rib thickness diminishes toward the tip; a bottom surface that complements the base top surface; rubber having a hardness of approximately 35 to 40 durometer; and two cavities that complement a respective set of locator pins. The recesses in the wall inside surface respectively correspond to at least one of the locator pins. The screws attach the ribs to the wall, each screw having a head and body, wherein the screw head is disposed in a respective recess and the screw body extends from the screw head, through the wall, and into a respective rib, thereby attaching the two ribs to the wall outside surface.
Other objectives of the invention are met by a process for inhibiting a traffic channeling device from rotating relative to a rubber collar while the rubber collar is inserted over the traffic channeling device. The process comprises a step of providing two or more molded ribs comprising an exterior surface for contact with the rubber collar, a back surface for contact with a wall outside surface of the traffic channeling device, and a thickness between the exterior and back surfaces. The process comprises another step of placing the rib back surfaces against the wall outside surface in a latitudinal arc of less than 180xc2x0. The process comprises an additional step of attaching the ribs to the wall outside surface.
In a further aspect of the invention, the process further comprises the step of inserting the rubber collar over the drum, the rubber collar comprising an inner diameter that is in contact with a portion of the wall outside surface and a portion of each rib exterior surface.
In additional aspects of the invention, the process steps may be further modified. For example, the placing step may further comprise the step of aligning a cavity in the rib back surface with a locator pin extending from the wall outside surface. The directing step may further comprise the step of screwing a screw through the wall and into the rib, with a head of the screw disposed in a recess in a wall inside surface that respectively corresponds to one of the locator pins such that the screw head does not extend beyond the wall inside surface. The providing step may further comprise providing two molded ribs comprising two back surface cavities. The aligning step may further comprise aligning the two back surface cavities with two vertically aligned locator pins. The screwing step may further comprise the step of screwing a plurality of screws through the locator pins.
In a presently preferred embodiment of the present invention, the above mentioned ribs are integrally molded with the sidewall of the drum.
These and various other advantages and features of the novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed hereto and forming a part hereof. However, for a better understanding of the invention, its advantages, and the objectives obtained by its use, reference should be made to the drawings which form a further part hereof, and to the accompanying descriptive matter, in which there is illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the invention.